News and Rumors

S4BB has just released the free app Battery Watch which provides helpful features to keep track of your BlackBerry's battery state. This utility application is easy to use and is constantly improved by their programmers.

Features:

Tracks battery status over time - Line chart visualization of battery state by day, week, month.

Pandora for BlackBerry gets updated to v1.1.12 today. The changelog says minor bug fixes and enhancements in which so far it seems to be ringing true since I've updated. Get updated and let us know any findings/fixes in the comments!

Wikitude for BlackBerry has been updated to v6.4.5 today and adds a awesome new features called, myWorld. With the myWorld feature (beta) you can create your very own Augmented Reality World. The "Create Place" tool allows you to mark the location of your favorite Mexican restaurant or any other location that is special to you, perhaps your favorite store or the amazing hotel you discovered in Italy last summer. Your World can be shared with your friends on Facebook, meaning you see their favorite Places, and they see yours.

BBM Music v1.1.0.17 is now available in BB App World. Didn't see any changelog but since I've updated so far I've noticed some improvements in speed. So I imagine it's just bug fixes. Get updated and let us know any findings/fixes you may discover on BBM Music!

The California Attorney General has struck a deal with the world's major app store operators that will see new privacy policy standards put in place. RIM, Google, Microsoft, HP, Apple and Amazon have all agreed to require any software that uses personal information to provide a privacy policy that can be viewed in the store before an app is downloaded. The agreement will bring the various markets in line with the California Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires developers provide such a policy. In addition to providing links to the relevant documents in an obvious and consistent location, the companies will have to offer a simple way for users to report devs that violate the rules.

It looks as though bout between RIM and the government of India may be finally reaching an end. If you remember, this match up goes way back to 2008 when the Indian government demanded access to encrypted BBM traffic. Then in 2010, RIM pulled punches and made a few compromises that dodged a ban. Now, it looks like things are getting a little crazy as RIM is putting 5,000 BES Enterprise servers in the city of Mumbai. Should advocates of privacy be worried? RIM went as far as to say back in Jan 2011 that in no way can they allow encrypted access to the Indian gov:

"No changes can be made to the security architecture for BlackBerry Enterprise Server customers since, contrary to any rumors, the security architecture is the same around the world and RIM truly has no ability to provide its customers’ encryption keys"

and...

"There is no possibility of us providing any kind of a solution," RIM VP Robert Crow said to reporters. "There is no solution. There are no keys to be handed."..."It’s not possible to do so because the keys of the service are in possession of the corporate enterprises."

So were RIM's statements just a bunch of hot air? We don't know for certain yet, but if what is being reported is true, that a "team of officers" have already inspected the new installation and that "permission for direct monitoring" is "expected to be issued," then perhaps RIM will eventually have to hire a team of Indian spies to finally close out this epilogue.

Smarter Apps has just released the first free beta version of an app that allows Google+ users to access their Google+ accounts natively using their BlackBerry smartphones. The free app is called App For Google+ and it is now live in BlackBerry App World! Download the app and be sure to join the BlackBerryOS.com community by following our Google+ page.

Features of the Google+ app for BlackBerry include:
- View your stream, post to your stream, checkin, upload photos to your stream
- View your photos and photos from people in your circles
- Add, edit, delete people and circles
- View and edit your own Google+ profile
- Support for all BlackBerry OS 5 and above devices except the
BlackBerry PlayBook

Some features of the Google+ app for BlackBerry that are not yet
available include:
- Instant Upload
- Google+ Messenger

If your a Hockey fan then you will be pleased to know about RIM latest partnership with the NHLPA. RIM has partnered with the National Hockey League Players' Association to bring you a first of its kind, in depth look at the lives of five top NHL Hockey players. The players, Scott Hartnell (Philadelphia Flyers), Bobby Ryan (Anaheim Ducks), Joffrey Lupul (Toronto Maple Leafs), Martin Biron (New York Rangers) and Michael Grabner (New York Islanders), will all take part in this new video series.

The new series will depict the players lives on and off the ice, and will be shot using the High Definition video camera of the BlackBerry PlayBook. The NHLPA Players' PlayBook will allow fans to do more than just watch a video. Fans will also be able to "call the shots". There will be a fan poll that will be held every Monday that will determine the "Fan's Choice Video". Question and answer sessions will be held each Wednesday that will allow the players to interact with the fans. To top the week off there will be an " Editors Choice Video", that will show some behind-the-scenes editing, and the editors favorite footage.

Some highlights include:

FAN'S CHOICE VIDEO: Every week an online poll will allow fans to choose what video they would be most interested in watching based on where the players are and what's happening at the time.

QUESTION & ANSWER: Fans can ask players questions via the home website or by posting a comment on YouTube. Every week, the players will respond to fan submitted questions and challenges.

All of this sounds exciting, so if your a Hockey fan this will be the ultimate experience. Make sure you take some time to read the full press release, and visit the official website.

Now that the excitement from the PlayBook OS 2.0 has stabilized its time to get ready for the next big thing. Mobile World Congress is the worlds largest mobile phone trade show. The show held in Barcelona, allows mobile manufactures to provide the public with their latest technology and newest mobile devices. Most every major mobile manufacturer will be there, and among those giants will be RIM.

Over the past few months there has been talk about RIM possible showing off one of its BB 10 devices. Although this has excited many members within the BlackBerry community, it sounds like this wont be the case. CNN has reported that RIM will not be showing any new hardware, but will be showing off the BB 10 OS. RIM has been trying its best to keeps its new BB 10 devices under wraps, but that has not kept purported leaked images from surfacing.

Since it seems as though we wont be seeing any new hardware, we can most likely expect so see the new OS depicted on some slides, or maybe even a video. Either way it will be nice to get more information on the BB 10 OS.

Just on the heels of the official launch of WordPress for PlayBook the other day after the OS 2 launch, today we see another update to v2.0.7 - up from v2.0.5. I don't see a changelog, but I can notice right away the improvement in loading time when opening the app. Remember, this is Android built app running on the PlayBook's Android Player, so it makes sense that a few tweaks may be needed to fine tune it in.

By now you have probably heard about RIM's release of the highly anticipated BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0. For months now, all anyone in the BlackBerry community could do was talk about PlayBook OS 2.0. Rumors and guesses of when it would be released had everyone on their toes, and had others running out of patience. They say good things come to those who wait. Was this the case with PlayBook OS 2.0? Did RIM deliver on what so many have been waiting for? After spending some time with the PlayBook OS 2.0 this is my review.

With the release of OS 2.0 today, Facebook for PlayBook has now been updated to v2.2.1.7! With version 2.2, users can view Facebook screens in portrait orientation mode, take advantage of Facebook’s new Messages feature that displays the full conversation history of their messages and chats, delete Wall posts and view Mutual Friends. Discover all the great ways you can stay on top of your social life with Facebook for BlackBerry Playbook.